Tyrannus verticalis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) is a large tyrant flycatcher found throughout western North America, as far south as Mexico. Adults are a combination of both gray and yellow plumage, along with crimson feathers that are hidden until courtship or against intruders. Characteristic of kingbird species, the western kingbird is very territorial. Although the western is often misidentified as Cassin's kingbird, Couch's kingbird, or the tropical kingbird due to the yellow coloration, it can be distinguished from these other species through its black, squared tail with white edges.
The breeding habitat is open areas in western North America. The increased presence of trees throughout the Great Plains during the past century due to fire suppression and tree planting facilitated the range expansion of the western kingbird, as well as range expansions of many other species of birds.
Instances of hybridization with the closely related Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) have been reported. Hybridization between the two species may become more frequent as the expanding range of the Western Kingbird increasingly... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Ciudad Juárez | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abilene Zoological Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | The Abilene Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Kingbird sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, based on 88 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 94th most-seen of the 152 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Kingbird in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Kingbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
12th of 36
Of the 36 parks where we can rate Western Kingbird sightings, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ranks 12th at under 5%. The best odds are in Badlands National Park (United States, about 40%), Zion National Park (United States, about 20%) and Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Tyrannidae
The closest relatives of the Western Kingbird that you can see in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Western Wood-Pewee (about 20%), Black Phoebe (about 20%) and Dusky Flycatcher (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Kingbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (88 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
